


Evermore

by breadedwasabi



Category: NU'EST
Genre: Album fic, Arranged Marriage, JRon, M/M, Mutual Pining, Song fic?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:41:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 4,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28262556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breadedwasabi/pseuds/breadedwasabi
Summary: Where Aron and JR are married. Oh, and Aron is the crown prince and JR is the local baker boy.
Relationships: Kim Jonghyun | JR/Aaron Kwak | Aron
Comments: 5
Kudos: 17
Collections: N.S.S. 2020





	1. Happiness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sweetoffee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetoffee/gifts).



> Inspired by Taylor Swift's new Evermore album. I just based off the titles of the songs lmao!! I randomized the songs and hoped for the best. Interestingly, the flow ended up being amazing. I just hope you like it, my dear reader.
> 
> Also! I guess it'll save time if you read this after clicking on the "Entire Work" button but that's just a suggestion!

Aron just _knew_ something was a-brewing. The servants gave him waffles and syrup for breakfast in bed. Not just any waffle though, it was from the bakery that he liked so much. And not just one slice either, but three! The entire setup looked so suspicious. (But he still ate it all nonetheless; it was the morning after all, and he was starving.)

He finished the slices nicely then left the tray and utensils he used on his bedside table just to test something. Aron then grabbed his bathrobe and made his way outside of his room. The guards greeted him as he passed by and he greeted them back happily, hair messy and all. His own happiness over a full plate of waffles was starting to freak him out.

The morning was great. The sun was shining so brightly and his flowers were growing well enough to match the Queen’s majority of the garden. Everything seemed nice.

_Too nice._


	2. Evermore

Young Prince Aron immediately ran to his room from the dining hall after he heard the news from his parents. _He knew it!_ Something was up, and it was that he needed to be wed as soon as possible, and preferably to another royalty (to keep the wealth circling around their family, and all). The resources of the kingdom were running low, and if he were to be wed then more and more investors, farmers, and various other merchants will be interested in the kingdom.

 _“Who would want to make a deal with a Prince who has never been involved with someone?”_ The Queen’s voice was ringing in his ears and he could only shake his head and sigh.

He hastily changed from his royal robes and into the set of clothes that he would wear when he went out of the palace grounds. The robes would stick out like an eyesore and the last thing he would need right now is other people telling him about their problems as he had a bigger one on his hands.

In times like this Aron wished he could just blend in with the commoners. No kingdom to run, no people to lead, just living peacefully evermore. _  
_


	3. Dorothea

The name of the bakery stood in the middle of the village. Carriages would come by Dorothea’s bakery daily to supply them with flour in the morning then return in the afternoon to buy some of the bread that was baked using it. The aroma of the baking goodies was very intoxicating. For him, bread was the superior carbohydrate over rice and noodles.

Stepping inside the store, he was greeted by a small chime from above him. Right after, a small “welcome” emanated from within the kitchen. The bakery was once a tiny little place but now, it can certainly hold up its own. Aron was not the only royalty that adored their doughy goodness after all; it was like the entire palace was sponsored by Dorothea’s bakery.

A familiar face greeted him just as he was browsing through the different sourdoughs on display.

That face was also the same face that Aron hoped he would get to know better one day. Instead, he would have to be married to a random princess just to get better deals and offerings for the sake of his kingdom.

Unless…


	4. Coney Island

Aron did it.

He had the courage to finally ask the baker’s son, Jr, out for a cup of coffee. The nearest coffee shop was not that far off anyway as they only had to walk a few blocks and Jr only had to wipe the flour off his face as he was ready to go.

“You,” Jr started as they were seated under the ambient outdoor umbrella seating of the café, “do know that, I know who you are, right?”

Aron’s eyes widened a bit before he relaxed and cleared his throat, lightly patting down the shirt he was wearing. “I did not know that.”

Jr laughed softly, leaning back on his chair then looked at the small menu in front of them. “Would Your Highness like some coffee or some tea? Perhaps juice—”

“Ssh,” the other hushed, “Look, I don’t know if you’re the only one who knows but, maybe let’s keep it that way?”

The baker shrugged a bit, “Alright.” He then turned the menu towards Aron and smiled softly, “But seriously, I think we have to take a pick soon.”

“Just get me this fascinating Pink Lemonade they have on the menu,” Aron said, eyes fixated on the said menu item. He was wondering what made it pink, and why was it pink in the first place. Before Jr could walk inside to order though, Aron asked him what he was going to order. When Jr answered he was going to get coffee, Aron suggested that the younger order something that would make his heart steady.

When Jr asked why Aron was telling him to do so, and Aron answered honestly with a “because I’m planning to ask for your hand in marriage” so simply, Jr could only sink back into his seat again as he processed the information.

“Welcome to Coney Island, how may I serve you today?” The barista greeted.

“One of your tallest Pink Lemonade please and,” Aron looked back outside only to see Jr still stunned in his seat before looking back at the lady again. “And one of your finest cups of calming tea.”


	5. Gold Rush

Jr made his way back home after a long talk with the prince who was undercover. He was made to understand that if they were to be wed, and that the marriage would be fruitful in terms of creating marvellous pieces of baked goodness, then he wouldn’t have to find another princess, or prince, or investor since their kingdom will be known for their bread instead. They would be exporting goods left and right instead of looking for new investors for the kingdom. Aron would still be seated in the throne, have an endless supply of bread, and Jr’s family business would keep running as long as the Kwak’s ruled. It was a win-win situation.

In theory.

In reality, Jr felt like he was drowning with the information that was given to him under an umbrella and in front of an unknowing café. He was having a rush with the thought of their bread turning into gold with the crown prince’s proposition.

It was a no-brainer, though, as Jr would certainly do anything to better the lives of his parents.


	6. Tolerate It

Aron’s parents were not pleased. The entire palace seemed like it was shaking, with the King’s voice bouncing and reverberating off the walls while the Queen stayed silent. A small smile was etched on the corners of her lips. Oh, she certainly knew about her son’s preferences and this seemed like a good time for her son to finally reveal (even if it was a circumstantial revelation) his true self.

Aron stood strong. He explained that being the only kingdom (that he knows of) that specialized in bread was a feat. People could buy their products and they could hire more people to work for bakeries to produce more bread. Their side of the kingdom would flourish.

The King lightened up at that while the Queen was absolutely beaming. She was so proud of her son, in more ways than one. Of course, knowing his husband, he was just pretending to tolerate the Prince’s sudden brash behaviour but he was proud too.


	7. It’s Time to Go

Over the next two weeks, there were a lot of back-and-forths between the royal family and the bakers who owned Dorothea’s bakery. By the eighteenth day, the two have finally gone into a firm decision that both parties could agree on. One of the stipulations of the agreement was that Jr was to live in the palace with the royalties. He was the heir of Dorothea’s bakery’s hierarchy after all, and he needed to know what was happening behind closed doors. He agreed after his father, the head baker, convinced him. If Jr didn’t think this arrangement would better his family or the village, he would have said no in a heartbeat; but if marrying Aron was the key to the betterment of the mankind that he knows then he would do it since it was that simple.

Jr was packing his items from his room when his mother called out to him from the bakeshop. He looked out the window of his room and he saw her pointing at the neighing horses at the front of the bakery. Jr nodded and gave his mother a reassuring smile, to which she mirrored.

He grabbed his bags and left the village on a horse-drawn carriage. He was no-longer a commoner as he was now the Crown Prince’s betrothed.


	8. No Body, No Crime

Jr, as Aron quickly came to learn, was sloppy. Their shared room was always messy on Jr’s side and Aron would always end up nagging early in the morning. Jr could only yawn out a response whenever that happened as his mind will not run unless he had his morning coffee. The worst part was that Jr would leave his messy side so he could go to the kitchen to overlook the processes and have an early morning chat with his father (or mother, when she would come and visit).

Aron was only so patient to let this go on that by the second week of them living in the same palace, and in the same room, he requested that Jr’s bed be taken away for it to become a vanity table for Aron instead. Jr was quick to notice this when he came back from his afternoon rounds in the kitchen (of course, because who would not notice a big bed go missing).

“Where is my bed?” Jr asked, messy palms full of flour settled on his own waist as he asked the royalty. “It was here when I woke up, it certainly wouldn’t have just vanished in thin air?”

“You’re right,” Aron said, not looking up from his readings of literature. “But I don’t know what you’re talking about. We share one bed.”

Jr was not going to lie, that made him step back a bit because he thinks his heartrate just went up at that statement. They were _definitely_ married now. With them sharing a bed, he would be forced to clean up a bit and not just jump all willy-nilly into bed without washing up.

So that’s what he did. He washed his hands and face up in the joining bathroom then stepped back inside after drying his hands and face up. He sat on the other side of the bed after seeing Aron not move from his spot. “I’ll be taking a nap,” Jr stated.

Aron nodded in response, still focused on the proses and poetry assigned for his reading when suddenly an arm wrapped around his waist and a warm face was buried on the side of his body. “What, is happening?”

“Oh, I usually sleep like this, your highness, don’t mind me, continue with your readings.”

Aron nodded again; eyes fixated on the page but not absorbing the letters and their meaning.


	9. Cowboy Like Me

Three months have passed since their marriage and both Jr and Aron were yet to go on a proper honeymoon. The two were focused on the business aspect of their relationship that their emotional needs were always neglected (despite the painfully obvious sparks the two shared) (even the guards picked up on it, and were snickering with the maids behind their backs in a light-hearted and well-meaning manner).

And so, it was settled. The mothers of the two boys arranged for their sons to have the whole week off and away from the palace for a well-needed bonding time so they would get to know each other better.

The two found themselves in front of a log cabin with a rushing river several feet away. The breeze that flew past the trees were as refreshing as the first drop of rain after a drought. The inside of the cabin was quite cozy, a heater by the side, a working bathroom, a small kitchen and a two-seater dining table, and one bedroom.

Once they settled their bags in the bedroom, Jr spoke up, “I bought alcohol.”

Aron sighed in relief, hand lightly holding his chest, “Thank you.”


	10. Closure

They were already deep into the night and they were already halfway through the big bottle of alcohol that Jr brought with him. They were buzzed, but not so much that they will have a hard time remembering this in the morning, but not too sober either as their conversations quickly shifted from the colour green to how alpacas were a hybrid of a camel and a sheep.

“Prince,” Jr said, lightly slurring on his words as he refilled their glasses. “I have a question.” He was leaning his back against the sofa while the two of them were seated on the floor with the drinks and finger food in between them.

“Go on,” Aron said, nodding his head once as if giving Jr the explicit permission that the other needed.

“Okay, I lied,” he giggled, “it’s not a question. Rather, I have a? Request?”

Aron furrowed his bushy brows at this statement and tilted his head lightly, “A request? What kind of request?”

“I need closure,” the baker blurted out. “I need to know.”

The young Prince furrowed his brows more, half wondering if it was the booze making him confused or if it was Jr who was making the cryptic messages on purpose.

“I need to know if, it’s true,” Jr said, gesturing his hands a bit wildly. “Our spark.”

“And,” Aron started, “How do you suggest we test that out?”

Jr peeled himself off from the sofa, looked down at the drinks and calculated his next moves sloppily in his brain. He gently settled one hand down on the floor so he could lean on it while he moved closer to Aron. His hand cupped Aron’s red cheek and lightly traced his thumb over it before leaning closer to press a kiss on the other’s lips.

There were, indeed, **sparks**.


	11. Champagne Problems

Aron woke up first the next day, finding himself on bed and curled up in blankets. He slowly turned around only to be surprised at Jr’s sleeping face just inches away from his. The baker was still sleeping, hair draped over closed eyelids and mouth plump and swollen from the night’s slumber.

 _'Mouth,”_ Aron gasped. They kissed last night. He definitely felt the sparks fly when their mouths pressed against each other and the next thing Aron knew, he was scrambling to get up last night and isolated himself from Jr. He liked the baker, definitely, but being so confronted like that so boldly was too much for him to handle even with alcohol.

He does remember Jr coming in a few minutes later while Aron wallowed in bed with all the blankets wrapped around him. Aron heard the other whining loudly while he slumped onto bed, arm and leg draping over the wrapped-up Prince something along the lines of, “I felt it! You’re lying if you didn’t.”

Aron chuckled at the memory and he pressed a soft kiss over the tip of Jr’s nose.


	12. Ivy

By the third day of their so-called honeymoon, Jr was struck with the most undesirable itch. He haphazardly swiped away branches in the forest while he was searching for berries with the Prince as their bonding moment for that day. The patches on Jr’s skin ended up looking like allergic reactions one could get from touching a poison ivy plant.

“I did tell you to wear long sleeves, _darling,_ ” Aron teased, dabbing on an ointment that would soothe the rashes that started appearing on Jr’s arm.

“If I did, _honey_ , then I wouldn’t be right here getting babied by you.”

“Are you saying that you planned to get stung by poison ivy? Just so I could look after you?”

Jr shrugged, trying to play it off while trying not to laugh so they could keep the playful banter going.

“If getting stung poison ivy was the currency to get look after by the other, then by now I probably would have had immunity to it because of the many times I wanted to be looked after,” he retorted, “just saying.”

Jr was left speechless and just let Aron dab more ointment on his arm.


	13. Willow

The week away from the palace was over in the blink of an eye and the duo found themselves under a willow tree. Jr was sitting on the grass with his upper body leaned against the tree while Aron settled his head down the younger’s lap. Jr was playing with Aron’s hair mindlessly until the Prince spoke up.

“I do miss the hustle and bustle of the kingdom though,” he nodded. “This was a very relaxing trip, no doubt, but I also miss having other people around.”

“Is this your way of telling me that you’re already sick of me?” Jr joked, looking down at Aron.

The Prince could only playfully roll his eyes before he answered, “On the bright side, you’re way less sloppy now compared to the first day we lived together.”

“Wouldn’t want my husband to run off and find a new baker to marry, you know,” he said, smiling down at the man in front of him.

Aron had to sit up after hearing what Jr said. He turned around and was about to ask Jr if he could say it again, because it sounded so solid, it made them real, but he was met with familiar soft lips for the second time.

He thinks Jr knew what he was thinking and quickly acted on it.


	14. Marjorie

Just as how this all started, Aron knew deep down in his gut that the week that passed in the log cabin was too good to be true. Once he and Jr stepped inside the palace, they were both met with a screaming Princess dressed up in her royal garment, demanding to know where Aron was.

Aron was so taken aback by the commotion that he barely had time to register what was happening until Jr stepped in front of him to shield him from the Princess. “You’re going to have to get through me, Your Highness.”

“And who might you be,” she spat, eyebrow raising as she eyed him up and down. Jr has been in the palace for months now but never was he made to feel this small. “Just another disposable guard of the palace?” She scoffed, “I am Princess Marjorie, and I demand to speak to Prince Aron this instance!”

“Prince Aron?” Jr said, trying to keep his voice steady despite the bruised ego. “You mean, my husband?”

Appalled, Princess Marjorie took a step back and demanded an explanation. Her parents were at the side, looking embarrassed for their child’s sake while the King and Queen shook their head in dismay at the lady who was acting like a close-minded brat.

Once the arguments were settled, Aron came to understand that Princess Marjorie was supposedly one of the princesses who were interested in being wed with Prince Aron but she received the news about his marriage late so she came into the peaceful kingdom demanding to be wed.

She was the least of Prince Aron’s worries, however, as Jr was nowhere to be found in the palace.


	15. Right Where You Left Me

It wasn’t raining but Aron had an umbrella with him while he ran out from the palace gates and looked around the village for Jr while the sun was setting. The bakery was only filled with apprentices who were being taught by Jr’s dad and the villagers had no idea where Jr was.

Then it hit Aron about Jr’s possible whereabouts.

He made his way to Coney Island and there he was, seated under the same spot where he first invited him out. Seeing the umbrella over Jr’s head made the umbrella in Aron’s hand seem a bit redundant. Aron approached the young man who had a cup of tea in his palms and stood beside him instead of sitting in front of him. “Oh? Not coffee?”

“No, it’s the calming tea,” Jr sighed solemnly. He paused for a while before starting again, “I don’t know if you saw the way she eyed me up and down but,” he sighed again, “it looked so vicious.”

“I couldn’t answer that,” the Prince said, leaning down so he could wrap his arms around Jr’s shoulders before lightly pressing a kiss on the top of his head. “I had eyes on you the whole time. I was surprised how you immediately went forward to protect me.”

“As I should,” Jr nodded, looking up at Aron. The Young Prince responded by leaning down to press his lips against Jr again.

When they pulled away, Jr chuckled to himself, “Guess I don’t need the tea to calm me down anymore.”


	16. ‘Tis is the Damn Season

A couple of days passed after the incident with Princess Marjorie and Jr is still feeling down. Jr does a really bad job at hiding his hurt, Aron thinks, and Aron decided to leave it to himself to make his—dare he say it— **husband** happy. _There goes my heart skipping a beat, woops,_ he told himself as he rolled out of bed and wore his bathrobe while he stepped to the kitchen. The maid he talked to the other night was already sipping on her coffee so she could be prepared in helping out the Young Prince.

He wanted to make Jr something that he, the Prince, loved: waffles. They shared the same waffle iron from the bakery the night before and all that was left for Aron to do was create the batter. He warned the maid that he only wanted help with the ingredients but he will do the elbow grease himself.

It was all fine and good until his batter turned out lumpy even after making sure that the ingredients and their measurements were correct to the gram. Nevertheless, he had to push through and pour the batter over the greased waffle maker.

The sun had risen and Aron wouldn’t have noticed until he heard a familiar voice behind him. He turned around just in time to open up the waffle maker to reveal deceivingly good-looking waffles. Aron looked at the waffles and picked them out so then could slide onto the plate he was holding then looked back at Jr. “Good morning, I made you some waffles.” He looked down at the singular waffle on the plate, “Well, _waffle._ ”

“I see,” Jr said groggily. “You even borrowed our waffle iron too.” He grabbed a fork then approached Aron. He took a bite of the waffle and as if the universe was against Aron’s odds, Jr got a bite with a couple of flour pockets in them.

“How is it?”

Jr swallowed the bite he was chewing then spoke, “I could never lie to you, my Prince…” So, he didn’t. He instead leaned close and pressed his lips against Aron’s hoping to all the stars that the Crown Prince would get the hint.

When Jr pulled away, Aron was left blushing and speechless save for two words, “Message received.”


	17. Long Story Short

Mornings were a little different now that a year has passed. Their arrangement now officially feels like a marriage and the two felt overwhelmed with the love they’ve been getting and receiving not only from one another but also from the people around them.

They started out so suddenly with a snap judgement but now their flame burns bright and steady. A flame that consisted of waking up with tangled sheets and limbs, waffles and coffee, visits to cafes around the town, and sometimes when they’re feeling a bit too adventurous a small rash or two from poisonous plants over the forest’s boundary.

“Good morning,” Aron cooed, pressing his cheek more against Jr’s chest, wrapping his arm around the other’s waist as if he could get any closer.

“Hey there,” Jr replied, pressing his cheek against the top of the Prince’s head.

“Give me a few minutes,” he yawned, “then I’ll fetch you some breakfast.”

“Will you make them?”

“Yeah!”

“Pass.”

“Oh wow, what a bully,” Aron laughed, looking up at Jr who was already looking down at him.

“If you’ll cook, it’ll take such a long time and I woke up on the side of the bed feeling clingy today, can you blame me?”

Aron laughed and responded by leaning up to press his lips against Jr’s. “I love you too.”

“I know,” Jr smiled, “and I, more.”


End file.
